(Note: Don't be confused by links referring to the drastically reduced number of days that Congress has been on the job in recent years. Some list days per year, while others double those figures because they are citing the number of days per 2-year Congress.)

Since your hasty debate[1, 2, 3] preceding the authorization of open-ended military intervention four years ago[], you have not spent enough time fulfilling your congressional oversight responsibilities[] related to the war in Iraq. Such lax oversight following 1964's Gulf of Tonkin Resolution[] encouraged the Johnson and Nixon administrations to persist with failed policies during our protracted involvement in Vietnam,[1, 2, 3,] and it appears to be having the same effect again.

What our country desperately needs now, as it did 40 years ago during the Vietnam War, is for you to reassert " the exclusive power of Congress to determine matters of war and peace."[1, 2, 3] The time is long overdue for a real debate about our country's policies in Iraq that is full, honest, and open.[1, 2, 3]

We therefore respectfully ask the Republican leadership to schedule a special joint session of Congress (B)this year(B) devoted entirely to our policies in Iraq. This session should last at least one week and begin as soon as possible, but preferably no later than Monday, October 16th. This would allow voters ample time to review and analyze the proceedings prior to the November 7th election. Hopefully, this special session will culminate with bipartisan legislation establishing (B)a clearly defined goal for the termination of our active military involvement(B).

Although we may not individually agree with everything written or referenced in this petition, we are unanimous in calling for a special session of Congress devoted entirely to Iraq. The war is now in its fourth year. Military[] and civilian[] deaths, as well as monetary costs[], have reached unconscionable levels. Violence has spread to other countries in the Middle East. As of September 6th, the 2006 congressional session was scheduled to end on October 6th[] -- a full month before the November 7th election, and almost 3 months before the end of the year. For the House of Representatives, this would total less than 100 days[] and be the shortest schedule since the 108 days of 1948's "do-nothing" Republican Congress. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

(B)Under these circumstances, we do not think it is too much to ask for the Republican leadership to schedule an additional week or two to address an issue of such vital national and international importance!(B)

[Important: This petition was initiated on September 6, 2006, and will remain active through the end of the year or until a week-long Iraq Debate is scheduled -- whichever comes first. As long as it's active, the congressional leadership will be notified on a weekly basis of the number of signatures it has acquired. When signing your name, please look up and include your ZIP Code + 4. This will help to ensure that the correct Representative and Senators are advised of your support, while allowing you to maintain a greater degree of privacy that the alternative of listing your home address.]

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